Overjoyed
by Joie23
Summary: AU: He pictures the boy with playful mischief in his eyes identical to his own and with a pair of lips mirroring hers when they're curled in a smile.


_**This one is inspired by a very touching scene in the movie 'Munich'. If you haven't seen it (the movie, that is), I highly recommend it. Eric Bana is awesome in it, but then again he's awesome in any other movie he's made, too. **_

_**Enjoy :)**_

* * *

He holds the phone firmly to his ear as if it's gonna fall out of his hand otherwise. It rings _one, two, three_ times and suddenly he gets an urge to hung up before someone answers. He misses her voice, _their_ voices, so much he thinks it would be better if he didn't hear them at all. He keeps fighting with himself and _four, five, si-_

''DiNozzo!''

He smiles, _really smiles_, for the first time in weeks and _how could he even think about hanging up?_ ''Good afternoon, this is Tony from NCIS, do you have a moment to express your opinion about need to know missions that take away husbands from their families, _please_?''

''_Tony?!_''

''Hi, sweetcheeks.''

''_Tony!_'' She repeates and he closes his eyes and bites his tongue before he says something stupid and sarcastic again. This is the first time he was able to call in weeks and he can't have it be frustrating and angry. ''Are you alright, Tony?''

''Yeah, I'm okay. Everything's okay.'' He assures her and immediately hears a sigh coming out of her lips. It's a quiet one, she tried to hide it for his own sake, but his hearing's still perfect. ''What are you doing?''

''We have just dressed.'' She informes him in a voice he never thought he'd hear from his once newly appointed Mossad partner, voice full of laughter and tenderness, but one he often hears from his now wife. Sam is in her arms, then. ''Gibbs is taking us to the circus.''

''Really? Is that safe? For the clowns, I mean.''

''Yes, well, Gibbs did assure me he will hold my hand the whole time, but I had to promise to leave my knives at home.'' She jokes back and all's right in the world. Just like that. Their marriage is probably the easiest one in the history of marriages. Which is a paradox in itself. He sometimes wonders if it's all just a pleasant dream and then says a prayer or two never to wake up if it is. _You can never be too confident._ ''Sam is excited.''

He pictures the boy with playful mischief in his eyes identical to his own and with a pair of lips mirroring hers when they're curled in a smile. His stomach burns with anger. Their son is not even a year old yet and he is already missing out. ''He okay? Healthy?''

''He is.'' She says. ''He started talking a little. He mostly tries to repeat our words.'' She is proud, he can tell, but sounds wary too. _He is not there. _''Samuel, you want to talk to your father? Yes?''

There is fidgeting on the other side of the line and he hears her say _it's your daddy, son_ and then she whispers something he can't figure out. A few seconds of silence pass before their baby mumbles something out in his unique baby language, but his wife whispers again and only then it finally comes out. Loud, clear and perfect.

''_Dada!_''

He never thought one simple word could be the reason for his undoing. He has cried once since adopting the old _DiNozzo men don't cry_ mantra. Not when Ziva walked down the aisle and agreed _for better or for worse_ with him nor even when Samuel cried out for the first time ever. Only once and for reasons he doesn't need to remember. He cries for an entirely different reason now, though. He forgets how to breathe for quite a moment after hearing Sam say it. _Dada_. His son is talking. _Their _son, the baby he has made with his wife, calls him _Dada_ now. It's surreal. He has never been so happy and so sad at the same time.

''_Ziver?!_''

''In the kitchen, Gibbs.'' He hears her answer back and the tone of her voice makes him realize she couldn't held her own tears, too. ''Can you put Sam his shoes on? It's Tony.''

''Tony okay?''

''Yes, he's alright.'' Sam's mumbling becomes distant with each step Gibbs takes away towards the boy's bedroom and he wishes he had said something to him. Anything. _Will Sam even remember him?_ ''Tony?''

_Then there were two. _

''Yes, I'm here.'' It comes out rough and he coughs to clear his throat. There is really no point in hiding just how much this affects him, she always knows what troubles him, but he has to try anyway. ''I thought boys take forever to start talking?''

''Ours is stubborn, I suppose.''

''I miss you.'' He allows himself.

''I know.'' She smiles into the phone. ''I love you.''

They make it a rule never to talk about the missions over the phone. They never talk about how hard it is for both when he is away. It would break them otherwise and they can't take another blow. He's lucky because she understands orders better than most and even if she's not used to staying behind, they somehow make it work. He doesn't know how exactly they do it, but he doesn't question it either. They make it work and nothing is sweeter than coming home to them. _Nothing_.

''I know.'' He both teases and promises her. ''Will you take pictures today?''

''Don't I always?''

''You do.'' He nods even though she can't see. ''_Ziva?_'' He pauses and she lets him take a breath. ''Don't let him walk before I come home, okay?''

Her answer is a repetition of her previous words. ''I love you, Tony.''

* * *

**Thoughts?**


End file.
